Santos Xiomara, Domínguez Gabriela, Rodríguez Juana, Pozuelo Javier, Hernández Manuel, Martín Olga, Fajardo Carmen
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Higher Polytechnic School, Carlos III University of Madrid, Avenida Universidad 30, 28911 Leganés, Spain.
Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Polymers (Basel). 2024 Jun 23;16(13):1772. doi: 10.3390/polym16131772.
The globalization of markets has diversified the food supply, but it has also made the distribution chain more difficult, increasing the risk of microbial contamination. One strategy to obtain safer food and extend its shelf life is to develop active packaging with antimicrobial properties that prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms or spoilage in food products. In this context, and in line with the growing social awareness about the environmental impact generated by plastic waste, this work evaluated the effectiveness of polylactic acid (PLA) films loaded with different concentrations of copper (II) hydroxynitrate nanoparticles (CuHS) against the microbiota of fresh foods (chicken, fish and cheese). The results showed that the developed films containing 1, 3 and 5% / of CuHS in the polymeric matrix caused a decrease in the microbial abundance equal to or higher than 3 logarithmic units in all foods tested. Moreover, the mechanical and thermal properties of the formulated composites showed that the added CuHS concentrations did not substantially modify these properties compared to the PLA films. Taking into account the results obtained for antimicrobial activity, Cu (II) migration levels and the cytotoxicity of the films formulated, the PLA composite loaded with 1% CuHS (/) was the most suitable for its potential use as food packaging material. In addition, the biodegradation of this composite film was studied under conditions simulating intensive aerobic composting, demonstrating that almost 100% disintegration after 14 days of testing was achieved. Therefore, the innovative PLA-based films developed represent a promising strategy for the fabrication of packaging and active surfaces to increase food shelf life while maintaining food safety. Moreover, their biodegradable character will contribute to efficient waste management, turning plastic residues into a valuable resource.
市场全球化使食品供应多样化，但也使分销链变得更加复杂，增加了微生物污染的风险。获得更安全食品并延长其保质期的一种策略是开发具有抗菌特性的活性包装，以防止食品中致病微生物的生长或变质。在此背景下，鉴于社会对塑料垃圾所产生环境影响的关注度不断提高，本研究评估了负载不同浓度碱式硝酸铜纳米颗粒（CuHS）的聚乳酸（PLA）薄膜对新鲜食品（鸡肉、鱼肉和奶酪）微生物群的抑制效果。结果表明，在聚合物基质中含有1%、3%和5% CuHS的薄膜，使所有测试食品中的微生物丰度降低了3个对数单位或更多。此外，配方复合材料的机械和热性能表明，与PLA薄膜相比，添加的CuHS浓度并未显著改变这些性能。综合考虑抗菌活性、Cu（II）迁移水平和所制备薄膜的细胞毒性结果，负载1% CuHS的PLA复合材料最适合用作食品包装材料。此外，还研究了这种复合薄膜在模拟强化好氧堆肥条件下的生物降解情况，结果表明在测试14天后几乎实现了100%的分解。因此，所开发的基于PLA的创新薄膜是一种很有前景的策略，可用于制造包装和活性表面，以延长食品保质期并确保食品安全。此外，它们的可生物降解特性将有助于高效的废物管理，将塑料残留物转化为有价值的资源。
